Method and means for handling metered permit mail



25 by the mailer,

' 30 to present the matter 7 the Patented Sept. 27, 1932 rArsN'r orricr.

RALPH Gr. WHITLOCK, 015 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA METHOD AND MEANsFORHANDLING METERED PERMIT MAIL Application filed January 2, 1929. SerialNo. 329,783.

This invention relates to a method and means for handling permit meteredmail which operates to the advantage and convenience of both thepostmaster and official 5 mail handlers and the mailer or metered permitholder.

Under the conditions upon which mailings of certain matter will beaccepted under permit without stamps affixe'd as provided by section452, Postal Laws and Regulations,

clause 4, paragraph C, the matter, regardless of its class or kind ofdevice used in printing the indicia, must be presented at the postofiice or station thereof designated by the postmaster. In a. fewunusual situations where it seems to be advantageous to the post ofiiceitself, certain pick-up arrangements exist where such cases exist mentunder such arrangements and precautions as may be prescribed in eachcase, but in no instance may the matter be picked up unless turned overto the pick-up carrier or his representative, together with thestatement of mailing provided for herein. i

In compliance with such regulations either the mailer, or hisrepresentative, is required station designated by the postmaster or apickup carrier is required to attend the mailer.

Among the objects of my invention is to provide a method and means whichwill expedite the handling and dispatch of permit metered mail; toprovide forthe placement of such mail by the mailer accompanied withrequired mailing statement directly into the custody of the postalauthorities upon posting at any authorized depository for delivering tothe postmaster by any authorized collector, and to provide for thetransmission of the mail matter, as received by the pick-up privilegemay V 20 be continued in the discretion of the departat a' post office,or

the postmaster directly to the so called railway mail service.

To the above purposes my invention consists in the novel steps in amethod of handling metered permit mail and the novel construction,arrangement and combination of parts of a mailing package for thepractice of steps of the 'method as hereinafter fully, clearly andconcisely described, definitely pointed out in my claims and illusvtrated by the accompanying drawings, (2 sheets), in which i V Fig. 1 isan elevationof the face, or address side, of a package, for use in thepractice of my method and invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the package and mailingstatement taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the back of the package, showing the means fortransmitting the mailing statement from the permit holder to thepostmaster.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified, or alternative,form of the package.

Fig. 5 is an elevation showing the back of 7 the package shown in Fig.4.

Fig. 6 is an elevation representing the -mailing statement.

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line 7 -7 ofFig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, by numerals, 10 designates the container forthe mail matter, which in the form shown is an ordinary,

commercial envelope, having a flap 11 and 3 means, such as the metallicfastener 12 for securing the flap to the envelope body.

On the face of the envelope there is indicia 13 limiting the use of thepackage to metered permit mail; indicia 14 providing for designation ofthe'number and destination of contained mail pieces; indicia 15providing for the identification of the permit holder, or mailer;indicia 16, providing for the address of the postmaster; indicia 17providing ofli- .report of mailer of this envelope.)

cial custody of the package, when posted, and indicia 18 providingreturn notice to the mailer.

The drawings show the indicia as fragments only of a form which forexample may be substantially as follows:

Return in 1 day to Penalty for private use to avoid Payment of Postage$300.00

Pick-up package for permit metered-mail Only POSTMASTER Metered maildivision This envelope contains Pieces of mail for r and Pieces of inailfor and Pieces of mail for and .All mail in this envelope is FirstClass, properly addressed to destination as above indicated with ostagefull re aid and may be delivered directly p yp p to R. M. S. (Detachablefor this maillng attached to reverse side M Holder of permit No. i

N. B, Mail for city and local delivery should not he placed in the sameenvelope with other mail for distant points b ut should be placed in aseparate envelope and marked local" or city in the above space providedfor destination. If no destination is given, separation will be made atthe post ofiice.

' fastener for holding the enclosure flat against the container wherebythe enclosure will be least likely to be accidentlyseparated from thecontainer.

The enclosure is provided for the purpose of transmitting the mailingstatement 19 shown in Fig. 6, which is the official form 3602-.Aentitled Statement of mailing, which by attachment to the container 10bearing the postage 'indici a, becomes with the container matter underthe custody of postal authorities.

In the forms of package and mailing statements shown in Figs. 4 to 7 thecontainer 10 has its flap 11 secured to the body as by the gummedsurfaces 21, shown only by dotted lines in Fig. 5, and the'mailingstatement itself is secured to the flap as by a gummed surface 22 and isseparable from the container as by a tear line 23.

I The physical means operate and the meth od s practiced substantiallyin the following manner.

The maller or metered permit holder, takes the printed substance of 1 anumber of mail pieces bearing addresses and postage indicia, faces andsorts same as to destination and places same in the package, which isaddressed to a postmaster and bears postage indiciar Then fills out themailing statement as usual, and designates upon the package the numberof contained mail pieces and their destinations and deposits the packagewith the statement attached in any official depository for collectionand delivery to the postmaster by any authorized carrier.

The postmaster upon receipt of the package need only remove the mailingstatement, for his record, and transmit the mail pieces as sorted by themailer directly to the railway mail service according to destination.

lclaim: V V

1. A pick-up package for permit metered mail comprisingv anenvelopehaving a flap and means for securing the flap to the en- .velope bodyand bearing indicia denoting addressto a postmaster, denoting the numberand destination of contained mail pieces and indicia placing the packagein the custody of the postal authorities when posted; a mailingstatement having a margin for attachment to the envelope flap and therebeing an opening in the envelope body to receive the Opposite margin ofthe statement.

2. Incombination, a container having an opening; a flap for closing saidopening;

there being a slot in said container substantially parallel with saidopening; and

an envelope having one end connected to said flap and its opposite'endextended into said slot for holding said envelope flat against an outerface of said container.

3. In'combination, a container having a flap at one end thereof and aseam extending substantially transversely across said container, therebeing a slot in said container extending in a direction substantiallytransversely of said seam; and'an envelope having one end extendedintosaid slot and hav- 1 in g its other end connected to the flap of saidcontainer. r

4. In combination, a relatively large envelope having an opening alongan edge thereof; a flap adapted to'fold'against the back of saidenvelope to close said opening, there being a slot'in said containerspaced from said flap; a; detachable insert, one end of which is adaptedto be positioned relative to said-big envelope by extending into saidslot; and means for securing the other endof said insert beneath saidflap to said big envelope. 7

5. In combination as in claim 4 in which said last mentioned meanscomprises a quickly detachable metal clasp.

6. In combination, a relatively large envelope having an opening; a flapadapted to fold against the back of said envelope to close said opening,

there being a slot in said contamer spaced from said flap; and astatement of mailing, one end of which is adapted to extend into saidslot and the other end of which is adapted to be secured to said flapwhen the latter is closed, there being perforations formed in saidstatement of mailing to permit this to be torn 0E and removed from saidslot by the proper authority.

7 In combination, a relatively large envelope having an opening; a flapadapted to fold against the back of said envelope to close said opening,there being a slot in said container spaced from said flap; a smallerenvelope, one end of which is adapted to bepositioned relative to saidbig envelope by extending into said slot; and a clasp for securing theother end of said small envelope and said flap to said big envelope,said small envelope being quickly detachable from said clas 11 itestimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature this 29th day ofDecember, 1928.

RALPH G. WHITLOCK.

